I don't think you have done a single interview post-1979 where you haven't been asked about Apocalypse Now...
(Laughs) It sounds very familiar. It was a big career start and I am happy that I did it. But if you said again, “You can have this part but this is going to happen“,  I'd say “Pass, no thanks, all the best.“

An unforgettable memory of the shoot...
The company of the players, I just adored them. I got close to Marlon (Brando), one of my heroes, one of the great actors, if not the greatest actor, of all time.

Everybody in your family is in show biz. What is dinner like in your household?
It's a bit lonely now because we don't have them living at home. We have grandchildren and one great grandchild, so it's a large extended family. It's hard to get everyone together at the same time, but we do, particularly on holidays and birthdays. It's gratifying for me as a father and an actor to work with them. I did The Way with my older son Emilio (Estevez) a few years about the Spanish pilgrimage, Santiago de Compostela, which he wrote for me. That's the best thing I've ever done.

When you shifted to New York to become an actor, you changed your name from Ramon Estévez to Martin Sheen to avoid ethnic typecasting. If you were debuting today, would you still do that?
Not today, no. I still deeply regret that I did. But I never changed my name officially; I just started using a screen name. It was difficult getting employment as Ramon Estévez, and not just in show business. Although I didn't look like the typical Hispanic or Latino, the name tagged me. When Emilio became interested in being an actor he said: “I am going to change my name.“ And I begged him to not make the same mistake I did. Charlie has changed his name officially though. It's a matter of choice. I still love my original name; it's there on my passport and marriage certificate. I'll always be Ramon.

What challenge did a film like Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain offer?
Well, I only feature in the Hyderabad segment, I wasn't in London, Mumbai or Bhopal. So, I had a very limited par ticipation but it was an important one because I play Warren Anderson, the American CEO of Union Carbide at the time. I think he's still living but hasn't uttered a single public statement about the tragedy, his involvement in it, accepted any responsibility or even apologised. We were however not interested in making him a villain. We gave him every opportunity to give us some inputs but he never surfaced. He hasn't been heard of since he fled India shortly after the tragedy in 1984. So we couldn't be too factual about his character but we had enough information to present an honest portrayal.

What excites you now?
Everything--my life, family, career, waking up and knowing I made it into another day. I embrace old age. I'm the luckiest man I know.